Guns and Roses: A Prelude to War
by Wingless Caveman
Summary: Trieze Kushrenada is in his office thinking about the war he must fight against his best friend, Zechs. Trieze isn't sure anyone can replace Zech's friendship and help him enjoy Earth's beauty until Ann steps into his office. Definite Ann x Treize.
1. Prelude to War

**Author's Note:** Hello again. I was motivated to write this story when I was listening to my "Sound of Goodbye," by Perpetual Dreamer playlist on Pandora's Radio. A lot of the songs reminded me of Trieze Kushrenada. I might continue this story later on. Right now, it will remain a one shot that isn't finished. Enjoy the story. Trieze and Lady Une are a few of my favorite Gundam Wing characters.

Ironically, I just turned on my Viva La Vida playlist and found Coldplay's song "42," which heavily influenced the direction I took the story in.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Gundam Wing. I won't ever own it.

**Guns and Roses: Prelude to War**

Treize Khushrenada leaned over his desk, running his pale hands through his wheat colored hair. The edges of Treize's tight, blue military uniform creased into wrinkled crescents directly below his shoulders, pulled upward by his arms. A "v" shaped patch of white fabric with buttons traveling down the center adorned the front of his jacket, casting a severe glow over his figure. Treize smiled distractedly, thinking how his uniform reminded him of the blue bird he had killed long ago. The cool breeze trudging through the castle he had been confined to had muted his thoughts, much like the cold air in his office was making it difficult to focus on his campaign.

The desk squeaked under Treize's ministrations, several layers of dust rising off its brown, dirty surface. Treize scoffed, backing away from the desk because it reminded him of how soiled the war was making him feel. All of the dust on the desk seemed to Treize like the mound of dead soldiers Treize knew he would have to sacrifice in his upcoming campaign against his friend Zechs. Ever since Zech's declaration of war against the Earth sphere, Treize had found it difficult to focus or work on anything without his thoughts crawling across his skin like a layer of dust over an unclean floor. Even the white curtains on the windows protecting his eyes from viewing the increasing activity around the base seemed too pure and clean to belong in a building steeped in invisible blood and death.

Treize's sky blue eyes smudged with uncertainty, clouding over with unsavory thoughts. A tear rose like smoke from his eyes' soiled depths, which he quickly killed with his left hand. Trieze stared at the pin head sized dot of wetness on his index finger, musing over how quickly the spot disappeared. Soon, many soldiers would be nothing more than wet spots of blood and skin on outer space's black canvas, red stars breathing their last goodbyes. Treize would be those soldiers' leader, an ironic god of death sending hundreds of children to fight for a cause that would gladly kill them in its quest for victory. Each child would scream a final song, his eyes conveying eternal sadness and confusion at his premature journey to heaven. Treize knew from his experience fighting that it was these screams, this opera of emotions and last words that clawed desperately at his sanity, continually raiding his conscience with regret. If Treize could separate the screams of his soldiers from the heroic blood fleeing their corpses, he might feel confident that the upcoming battle would teach humanity the fallacies of warfare. Treize could ignore the emotional baggage each soldier's death cast like a barbed wire around his neck to focus on teaching outer space to live in harmony with Earth. If things went successfully, he might even confront Zechs and cross the no man's land of memories between them.

Somehow, Treize felt that if he and Zechs hadn't separated after Otto's death, he could have sent his soldiers to more honorable graves. Unfortunately, losing Zechs had sucked all the beauty out of watching a man cry blood for his country. The only reason Treize still liked spilling blood was because humans learned lessons faster when their friends and relatives were sacrificed for a distant cause. Treize knew that he didn't want his soldiers' deaths to be pointless, which made it so much harder to fight Zechs when he wasn't sure how strongly Zechs believed in White Fang's ideals. How could Treize send boys to their makers when his enemy seemed to have no reason for fighting him and listening to his choreographed thoughts on the battlefield?

However, Treize also knew it was his fault for refusing the position The Romafeller Foundation had offered him at the beginning of the war. If he had taken that position, he could have changed the course of the war and implemented policies that would kill less innocent civilians. Treize might have provided a few boys with more time to spend mulling over girls and the beautiful array of small details comprising the universe. A mother might have spent another day walking through the fields with her son, watching him stare at a rainbow sky while she smelled a few flowers. Children could have played hide and seek from each other instead of hiding from the Earth while it melted inward from the heat of its mistakes. If only.

Treize interlocked his fingers, stepping slowly across the dark blue carpet lining the office floor. Passing a lamp and a drawer, Treize sat down in a large, white armchair facing one of the room's three, closed windows. It would soon be time for him to order the Earth Federation's space fleets to leave, which was a task he was dreading beyond anything else.

A heavy knock sounded at the door. Treize turned to face a video communications screen next to the door, calling out for the person to enter the room. A woman with brown hair streaming down her shoulders entered the room. She was nervously clutching the edge of her navy blue business jacket, the tips of her fingers disappearing under the fabric. Her eyes were a turbulent shade of chestnut, which glowed dully in the room's sparse lighting. The woman's pale face looked up at Treize expectantly, watching his every move. Treize walked over to the woman, smiling severely.

"What brings you here, Ann?" Ann looked away from Treize, smiling softly. She produced a folder from the folds of her jacket, letting it fall to a stop against her navy blue mini-skirt.

"I am here with more details on Zech's preparations for battle, sir."

"Of course." Treize thought miserably. "This is the only reason Ann ever comes to my room."

Ann called out to Treize once more, tapping the folder patiently against her leg. The folder leered at Treize triumphantly, taunting him with its plethora of knowledge. Treize shuddered inwardly, afraid to look at his friend's tactics and acknowledge Zech's severance of their friendship. Without Zech's friendship, the war would become all too real for Treize. Treize would lose his reason for loving nature and basking in the Earth's glory. He had spent so much time watching Zechs ignore the flow of life around him that he couldn't help falling in love with the simple orchestra of human existence. Zechs' rather emotionless nature had made humanity and earth real for Treize because Treize could contrast Earth's development with Zech's struggle to understand his role in the war. Now, Treize would have to find another reason to love life and live in simple elegance.

As if on cue, Ann coughed politely to remind Treize of her presence. "Ah yes, Ann." Treize thought fondly, continuing to stare at the girl in front of him. "At least she hasn't left me like Zechs did." A soft smile flickered into existence across Treize's face, his eyes sparkling with light like the ocean under the sun's gentle gaze. Ann's eyebrows turned upward confusedly, soft uncertainty coloring her eyes.

"Sir?" Quipped Ann quietly, staring down at the carpet. Treize quickly regained his composure, taking the folder from Ann's hand.

"I think I know why I find the Earth so beautiful." Treize murmured distractedly, once more sitting down in the armchair he had recently vacated.

"Why?" Ann whispered, so afraid to ask her question that the words left her lips in a gusty jumble.

"Ann, please, if anything happens in outer space, just live your life passionately and don't lose sight of your goals."

"But sir! I don't understand." Treize reached out and idly brushed a strand of Ann's warm hair behind her left ear. Ann shuddered, almost recoiling from Treize's touch.

"I have work to do, Ann, and a friendship to dismantle. Please leave." Said Treize, withdrawing his hand.

"Are you okay, sir?" Ann said again, stepping back toward the door.

"As okay as a soldier ever is fighting a war."

Ann sighed, closing the door behind her. Treize closed his eyes quickly before opening the file.


	2. Blooming Battlefield

**Author's Note: **I finally finished the second chapter! Terra and L.A. Une were nice enough to leave me comments that prompted me to write more to this story. In fact, I modeled the second chapter heavily off Terra's constructive criticism. Terra helped me see a slight mistake I had made with Treize's character because I haven't watched Gundam Wing in over three years. I hope this chapter is better. Thanks for the comments. L.A. Une, you rock for liking my story. Terra, keep the comments and criticism coming. I feel better when people both critique my story and say nice things about it.

Also made some changes to the first chapter based on Terra's comments. I feel better about the first chapter.

I also just finished my graduate school applications, so you can expect some stories in between financial aid applications and scholarships.

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own Gundam Wing. And I don't want to own Gundam Wing because the responsibility would be too great.

**Guns and Roses: Blooming Battlefield**

Several hours had passed since Ann had visited Treize. Since then, Treize had found the courage to pull back the curtains and reveal the afternoon sun. Rays of light darted cruelly toward each window, repelled by a shield of glass. The few beams of dusty light that managed to enter the room cast shadowy imprints of the windows' cross-shaped lattice work on the carpet. Underneath the slim layer of faint light, the carpet seemed to be crying out against the light's misuse of its personal space. Feeling similarly abused, Treize turned away from the folder he was examining, walking into the patch of light behind his desk. The imprint scattered, folding around Treize's lean form.

During the past few hours, Treize had numbly flipped through the file, routely absorbing its contents. With each new page Treize read, his anger toward Zechs increased. How could Zechs so casually send hundreds of mobile dolls and soldiers toward earth? And what was Zechs hoping to accomplish by attacking his forces so soon? Didn't Zechs realize that the battle would only be a huge fest of blood and gore, accompanied by a ballet of bullets and broken hearts? At this point, Treize was beginning to think that Zech's only goal was to punish Earth for its role in the war and to purge himself of his participation in Earth's downfall. After all, Treize knew Zechs too well to assume he would blindly throw his support behind a group of renegades bent on disrupting Earth's peaceful existence. It seemed more likely that Zech's confused identity was manifesting itself with renewed vigor. If anything, Treize was beginning to realize that Zechs might be using the final battle to merge Zechs the soldier with Miliardo the diplomat.

Treize knew that he would have a hard time convincing people that war was nothing more than the mass destruction of human fodder if Zechs was dealing with his personal nightmares on the battlefield. Could Treize show Earth that battles force soldiers through assembly lines of training, which rarely taught them to overcome the fear of dying preventing them from excelling? It would be difficult for Treize to move Earth's soul while Zechs was piecing together his humanity. Zech's quest to regain his sanity could overshadow Treize's goal and paint the war as a method for soldiers to rid themselves of impure memories and family connections. The last thing Treize wanted was for Earth to see Zechs rise wearily above the smoking remains of his former selves, turning his back on Earth because it had broken his spirit. Not only would Zechs become a martyr, but humanity would feel responsible for causing a war they had little connection to. People would grow sad and focus on themselves, spending more time becoming better people than understanding their role in perpetuating the strings guiding war's pointless tango.

There was only one thing left for Treize to do, and his heart ached thinking about it. Treize had avoided contemplating direct confrontation with Zechs because he felt his soldiers' deaths could better display his message. He had preferred to watch Zechs from afar, hoping that the several minute lead he had given Zechs after Otto's death would help him survive. The last thing Treize wanted was for Zechs to die at his hands, an unnecessary victim of two competing ideologies. Unfortunately, Treize knew from personal experience that Zechs' stubborn nature might prevent him from accomplishing his goal. To make matters worse, Treize had also watched Zech's personality grow increasingly unstable, a direct result of the different roles that Earth and outer space demanded he occupy. The time Treize had spent apart from Zechs had rendered him unable to predict Zech's alliance with the White Fang, reminding Trieze that he no longer fully understood his friend's motives. There seemed no way for Treize to avoid accounting for Zech's wildly fluctuating personality other than a climactic final battle between the two of them. It would be a showdown between a man fighting to regain his humanity and another human struggling to show the inhuman, pointless nature of war.

Trieze stared out the window, his hair shining a poignant shade of rotten chestnut under the sun's soft light. A slew of soldiers moved along the stretch of gray pavement marching around the base. Mobile dolls outfitted for space battle rolled slowly into transport planes, their black surfaces occasionally sparkling purposefully under a ray of sun. Treize could see Ann's petite form walking parallel to his office, her harsh steps indicating that all the kindness previously inhabiting her heart had disappeared. In the few hours that had passed, Ann had switched her blue jacket and miniskirt for her dark red military jacket. The same row of buttons adorning the front of Treize's jacket lined Ann's jacket, making her transformation seem tragic and severe. Two tight braids formed buns on either side of Ann's head, heightening her military demeanor. As far as Treize could see, the white gloves and white pants Ann was wearing were the only remnants of her soft, caring demeanor. They seemed like white roses in a field overgrown with Martian grass, too illogical for a soldier to wear around a base. Ann's signature rimless glasses frowned in the sun, casting severe glances at the other soldiers on the base each time the sun's rays slid on and off their surface.

It seemed sad that only a few hours ago, Ann had been standing demurely in Treize's room, her entire body casting an aura of uncertainty ill-suited to the woman now walking before him. Treize had often wondered why Ann had woken up after the shooting more broken and less in control of her emotions than she had been before the accident. What had caused Ann to lose the conviction with which she stood by his side?

In a way, Treize felt responsible for causing Ann to sacrifice her humanity and temporarily become a better soldier. While Trieze had wanted Ann to understand that her blind devotion to him was pointless, he hadn't wished for her to split her soul into two halves for his cause. It also saddened him deeply that Ann's initial understanding of his hatred of war had led to her near fatal conflict with Tuberov. Treize never wanted Ann to fight a war he thought she was ill suited for because she was only recently starting to appreciate Earth's beauty.

Throughout the war, Treize had kept Ann by his side because he felt she had no reason to fight. Ann's progression into a woman fighting for his sake had frightened him. Treize felt that the battles Ann fought would be meaningless until she stopped fighting for him and began sharing her beliefs with the world. Unfortunately, Ann's attempt to reconcile her appreciation for Earth with her desire to bring Treize's ideals to fruition left her unable to fight or understand her role in the war. Treize saw Ann withdraw from the battlefield into a coma, both her body and her mind falling into a state of chaos. Ann's struggle to regain her life and stop the war engulfed her existence, turning her into a diplomat capable of organizing solutions to problems that she couldn't overcome by herself.

Treize realized that Ann was becoming a foil to his beliefs, trying to stop the war for the same reasons he was continuing it. He knew that Ann would be more of a detriment to his cause if he let her fight, which was why he needed to keep her at his side during the entire battle. Worse come to worse, Ann could take over for him and end the battle if she felt his objectives were accomplished. Treize did feel like he owed Ann that much after forcing her to spend the entire war understanding his way of life.

Stepping away from the window, Treize opened the door. He quickly stilled his thoughts, readying himself for the speech he was about to give. The war couldn't wait any longer. It was finally time for him to end his friendship with Zechs.


	3. Declaration of War: Farewell, Miliardo

**Author's Note: **I guess I took a little longer to update than I wanted to. The week was really busy, with my final project being due for my January class. I also had to move down the hall after my roommate and I realized our styles of living were too different to make living together plausible. It was so much fun not having to shoot out of bed to turn off my alarm that I slept in almost every day this week. I have been sleeping a lot better and going to bed later, all because I no longer have to dim my computer or stop watching Gundam Wing episodes so my roommate can sleep.

School starts on Monday, so I will try updating every Saturday morning. I'll write on Friday from 6-? and I will post the results on Saturday. I may update one more time before school starts if I have time, but it is looking like my next update will be a week from this Friday.

I'll correct the chapter later tonight. It took me a while to write because I had to watch the corresponding Gundam Wing Episodes and do a little research beforehand.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gundam Wing.

**Declaration of War: Farewell, Miliardo**

Treize marched into the command center, stopping in the middle of a group of soldiers wearing blue jackets and white pants. Each soldier had a blue hat sporting the Romefeller Foundation's emblem, a gold eagle with its wings outstretched menacingly. Gray computers formed a horseshoe around the room. A panel of keys and levers below each computer allowed the soldiers to monitor the Earth Federation's activity in outer space. Some of the computers were glowing, receiving information about the dispatch of troops from Earth to the resource mine M02. Clear, glass windows allowed Treize to see the flurry of troops filling transport planes, which took off almost immediately after they were full. The soldiers stood at attention as Treize entered, raising their right hand to their forehead in a respectful, military salute.

"What is the status of the troops gathering at M02?" Asked Treize, turning to look out the window. Treize knew it was essential to finish gathering his troops before Zechs attacked. A sense of duty was compelling Treize to rush his task, telling him that the Earth needed his protection against Zech's unpredictable motives. Treize was beginning to think that he could not guarantee Earth's safety during the battle, which was worrying him. Zechs had fired Libra's main cannon recently on Earth, causing severe damage to several remote bases in the Western Hemisphere. Treize knew what the cannon could do, and Zech's previous actions left no doubt in his mind that Zechs would fire the cannon again when necessary. It was imperative that Treize prevent Libra from firing the cannon at all costs, before Zechs could win the war through sheer manpower and advanced mobile doll technology.

The mere thought of letting Zechs win the war with an army of mobile dolls at his side sent a shiver of sadness through Treize's heart. The feeling lodged itself beneath Treize's skin, diverting his attention from the transport planes to the final war's potential outcome. Treize knew that turning the war in his favor depended on his ability to show Earth that Space Taurus's piloted by humans were stronger than a factory of bloodthirsty mobile dolls. Humanity needed to triumph over modern technology. Only then could peace return to Earth, stopping people from worrying about the consequences of their innate desire to fight. Treize would never be satisfied until there was no need for people to fight to declare their beliefs and protect their ideals.

Unfortunately, Zechs was beginning to let the motives underlying his projected declaration of war fuel his actions. Although Treize could only guess at Zech's reasons, he was beginning to think Zechs was fighting on behalf of outer space because Earth could not control its urge to fight. Treize assumed that Zechs thought the colonists' history as rugged pioneers creating technological monuments to their life in space helped them better restrain their emotions than humans. From what Treize recalled about Zechs's beliefs, it wouldn't be out of place for him to assume that Zechs liked how Mobile Dolls lacked humans' emotional capacity. Mobile Dolls wouldn't have the same attachments to people and places that humans would, leaving them with little burdens limiting their ability to fight. Using Mobile Dolls would also free humans to form attachments to outer space instead of fighting wars that would crush their spirit. Humans wouldn't hate outer space like they despised Earth for uniting them under OZ and other dictators. The colonies could become humans' escape from war.

If Treize's line of reasoning was true, he could understand why Zechs had left Earth. Zechs had been betrayed by his faction after his forced resignation from the Romefeller Foundation, which had controlled most of Earth's resources at that moment. Anyone in Zech's position would have felt jaded and hurt, especially if they later saw their kingdom and their one attachment to Earth burn under Oz's fire. What reasons would anyone have to stay on Earth after he had lost his home and his friends? Space would have seemed like a reasonable place for Zechs to rebuild himself and destroy the last vestiges of pacifism preventing him from taking revenge on Earth.

Even though Treize felt sorry for Zechs, he couldn't let Zechs destroy Miliardo Peacecraft's grave. Miliardo Peacecraft had shown Treize that he respected Earth because humans had the potential to change the institutions perpetuating their desire to prolong the war. Treize liked Miliardo's deep understanding of the human nature to fight as a necessary component of human behavior, something that made human participation in battle meaningful. Miliardo had shown Treize that technology piloted by strong men gave heart to people afraid to fight for someone. Mobile Dolls had no one to fight for, which made war nothing more than an endless waste of money and resources. The side that either ran out of Dolls first or made enough tactical blunders would lose the war. No one would understand why the victorious party was fighting until the war was over, making the future of both space and Earth uncertain. Humans had ideals that left no doubt in people's minds about their goals after the war. Miliardo had exemplified the human element in war, proudly backing his desire to mend the rifts caused by the war with the power and prestige of the Peacecraft family name. No one doubted his sincerity to fight because he was fighting for his nation, his miniature Earth. Treize's desire to protect Earth was similar to Miliardo's goals, drawing him toward Miliardo. A bond had formed between them that Treize had been reluctant to sever.

Even though Treize was destroying his friendship with Zechs, he wasn't going to let his memories of his time with Miliardo become a distant point in time. Treize would have no reason to fight if he lost his awareness of his ideals and the role Miliardo had played in shaping them.

A soldier turned toward Treize, looking like he was about to respond to Treize's question. Treize refocused his attention on the task at hand, folding his hands behind his back.

"Sir, the preparations are going well. Units from all around the Earth are gathering at M02 as we speak. Our battle plans are nearly complete."

Treize walked over to a window, turning around to face his soldiers. Most of them had dropped their hand and were readying themselves for the upcoming battle.

"My fellow soldiers!" Knowing that an official declaration of his feelings toward both Earth and Miliardo's crippling defeat at Zech's hands would unofficially start the war, Treize began speaking confidently. "I have every intention of leading you in to this battle. Wars cannot be fought with Mobile Dolls who have no ideals perpetuating their actions. We shall go to Outer Space and show Zechs that we can overcome his army and protect the Earth. I know we all have something to protect that will make this last war worth fighting, if only to prove the futility of sacrifice during battle."

The soldiers raised their right hand in another salute to Treize, looking thoroughly motivated by his speech. Each boy turned eyes saturated with hope toward Treize's retreating form as he headed toward a launch pad.


End file.
